what if we were strangers?
by clairebxrton
Summary: In some worlds, they meet and fall in love. In others, they pass each other by, remaining strangers for their lives and never understanding why they're empty inside.


a/n: don't own. reviews are appreciated.

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In this lifetime they never meet, it's just not in the cards. They don't even get to pass each other by in the street due Fate; they're complete strangers with years between them. Their hands don't brush against each other when they're walking, they don't get married, they don't get a happy ending.

In another life, instead of work on the Saturday after his payday, Jeremy Fitzgerald went home and napped for a few hours before waking up for his date with Michael Schmidt. The party he was supposed to work instead worked by Scott and Vincent, the latter of which would get attacked by Mangle in what Fazbear Entertainment called a 'gross negligence'. Vincent would later die of his injuries and Freddy's, in hope to not get shut down, would place Jeremy on server status until he hit 21, but the company would close that Freddy's down after two failing months. Jeremy would look for another job, finding one out of state and him and Mike will decide to move away, wishing Scott the best of luck. They would fall in love and after breaking up twice, get back together for good. They would move back home after hearing about a new Freddy's being opened and they would go to help Scott set it up so it would become a safe place. No children would get kidnapped and killed, the animatronics would not look for revenge and they would eventually move on after realising that their murderer is dead.

But that's not this lifetime.

That's not this world.

In that other world, Jeremy met Mike during Mike's sister's party when he stepped out during a panic attack and ran into Jeremy who was throwing out the trash. In that other world, Jeremy swore himself blue when he felt the gunk of old stale pizza break from the bag and stopped when he noticed the wide brown eyes that were attached to the trembling panicked brown haired boy. In that other world, Jeremy walked Mike through the panic attack, knowing how they felt and how to calm them a bit; he also sat with Mike afterwards and talked about what had set him off. In that other world, whenever Mike needed a friend to listen to him, he would find Jeremy and whenever Jeremy needed a place away from home, he'd find Mike. In that other world, Jeremy Fitzgerald and Mike Schmidt fell in love in a meet cute way.

But not in this one.

In this life, that never happened.

In that other world, they talked about their fears after they both snuck out of their homes late one July.

In this world, Mike stayed in bed, a yearning feeling in his chest and unable to sleep. In this world, Jeremy Fitzgerald stole his dad's beer and drank himself to sleep in his old backyard swing set.

In that other world, they were happy.

In this world, they fought with moments of depression and emptiness. Mike suffered trying to make up for his older brother's loss by being a perfect student and perfect child. He worked hard to be the best student in the school, working so hard that sometimes he didn't sleep. Jeremy suffered trying to get noticed by his continually fighting parents, he fought with them and screamed and yelled, growing violent just like them until they payed attention to him.

In that other world, Mike Schmidt came to realise that his parents didn't need a new child to take over for his dead older brother and Jeremy Fitzgerald came to learn that he didn't need to become like his parents to get noticed.

In that other world, they would help each other become better people.

But not in this world.

In this world, Jeremy Fitzgerald does not run into Mike Schmidt outside because Mike Schmidt does not leave the party. Jeremy does not fall in love at all. He grows angry. He does not fall in love and it is a bad thing.

In this world, Jeremy Fitzgerald takes the job on Saturday after his paycheck and he goes in as a security guard. In this world, Jeremy Fitzgerald is helping a little girl when Mangle flies down from the ceiling and bites into his head. In this world, Jeremy Fitzgerald spends two months in the hospital before he flatlines. In this world, Jeremy Fitzgerald dies alone.

In this world, Mike Schmidt burns out in college, dropping out in his second year. In this world, Mike Schmidt dies when he realizes that he can't become his parent's perfect child like his brother was. In this world, Mike Schmidt gets a job at the newly opened Freddy Fazbear Pizzeria and learns of a person who he calls "the Bite of '87 victim". In this world, Mike Schmidt makes it a week into his job before he's fired and he never learns about why he felt his heart break when Phone Guy talked about the Bite.

In some worlds, they meet and fall in love. In others, they pass each other by, remaining strangers for their lives and never understanding why they're empty inside. And in some, they never see each other, their lives never touching and in these lives, they continue on as if nothing has ever changed.


End file.
